Juice extractor



JUICE EXTRACTOR Filed April 1, 1941 Sheets-Sheet l' INVENTQRS, 20/7 67014 & (kaiser; fl bmsock; BY

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 31, 1943 JUICE EXTRACTOR Don E. Grove, West Los Angeles, and Jackson D. Comstock, Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Hollywood Liquefier Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 1, 1941, Serial No. 386,238

4 Claims.

. This invention relates to juice extractors. The term juice extractor as used herein applies to an instrumentality adapted to form into an impalpable mass fruits, vegetables, and the like, the juice of which is to be extracted therefrom for drinking purposes.

At the present time, numerous stands sell various fruit and vegetable juices.

An object of the present invention is to provide a juice extractor which the consumer may utilize for the purpose of extracting juice from vegetables and fruits rapidly and economically, and without destroying the vitamin content thereof.

It has been found that vegetable juices, when allowed to stand, tend to oxidize, and otherwise lose valuable properties. Vegetable juices should be consumed immediately after the extraction of the juice. The present juice extractor is adapted for home use, to the end that a supply of fresh vegetables or fruits may be kept in stock and used when, as and if desired, for the purpose of extracting juice therefrom. In this manner, the juices will at all times be fresh, not subject to deterioration from long standing, and with more beneficial and healthful results to the consumer.

While the present device is adapted for home use, yet it readily lends itself to use at commercial fruit and vegetable stands where vegetable juices may be extracted from the vegetables or fruits for the customer. The device may be easily cleaned, has its parts so arranged that liability of injury to the operator is minimized, a device which is attractive in appearance, inexpensive in cost of manufacture and efficient in operation.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in certain embodiments in the accompanying drawings, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of theimproved juice extractor as an entirety,

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 3,

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3- 3 of Figure 1, and on an enlarged scale from said figure, I

Figure 4 is a side elevation of one form of cutter which may be utilized in the ractice of the invention,

Figure 5 is a plan view of the cutter shown in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of cutter blade,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of cutter blade,

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9--9 of Figure 7, and,

Figure l0is a sectional view on the line Ill-l0 of Figure 8.

Referring now to the drawings, the improved juice extractor is designated as an entirety and in one embodiment by numeral I, wherein Z is a container adapted to hold the fruit or vegetable juices, and 3 a casing adapted to house a motive unit for driving a cutter.

The casing is streamlined in form to add to its ornamental appearance. We may, however, provide any type of surface configuration for the casing. Specifically, the casing 3 is in two parts, as shown at 4 and 5, and the two casing parts are adapted to house a motor designated generally as 6, which drives the cutter I.

The motor 6 is of the conventional type and may have two speeds, such as low and high,

said motor including an armature 8, commutator 9, brushes l0 and l I in engagement with the commutator, and the usual field coils l2. The motor shaft extends beyond both ends of the armature, as shown at 13 and Hi. A casting I5 is adapted to surround the motor, as shown. This casting may be in two parts, as shown at l6 and I1, best adapted to carry the field coils. The lower end of the casting is formed with an annular flange [8 and with a web 19, the web centrally provided with an annular member 20. This member 28 carries a ring 2 l formed with an annular race 22. The shaft end 14 is shouldered at 23, and bearing against said shoulder and surrounding the said shaft end is an annulus 24 provided with a race 25. Ball bearings 25 are received within the race portions of the two rings or annular members 22 and 24. Thus, the motor, armature and commutator are supported at one end. This motor is adapted to have its shaft maintained in a vertical position relative to some support. The shaft end l4 carries a fan or propeller 21. This propeller is adapted to deliver a blast of air past the web [9, upwardly around the motor and outwardly between the two casing parts 4 and 5, for the purpose of cooling the motor when it is running. The casting I! is provided with oneor more perforated cars 28, which may vary as to thickness, the said cars permitting the casting to be secured to the casing part 4, as illustrated at 29, and in certain instances, to both casing parts, as shown at 3!]. Secured to the casting part II are four equally spaced arms arranged in diametric pairs, as shown at 3|, 32, 33, and 34 in Figure 2. Elongated bolts, designated generally as 35, extend between the aforesaid arms and projections 38 carried by the casing part It, whereby when suitable nuts are secured to said bolts, the two casing parts I 6 and I I may be held in working relationship, as shown in Figure 3.

An annulus 31 is centrally carried by the arms 3| to 34, inclusive, the said annulus extending on both sides of the said arms as, for instance, shown at 38 and 39. The portion at 38 is counter-bored at 40 to receive a ring AI, provided with a race. A second ring 42 provided with a race, bears against an enlargement 43 surrounding the shaft end I3 of the motor. Included between the race members are bearings 44. Annulus 3! is counterborcd at 45, to accommodate washer G6, which surrounds the shaft end I3 and rests against one or both of said race members 30 and 42. Pinned to the shaft end I3 is a stud shaft 47. This stud shaft is confined within the annulus 37 and carries at is upper end a diametric piece 48.

The casing part 4 includes a side wall which may be of streamlined form, and provided with a vanishing or crescent shaped oifset portion 49, as illustrated in the figures. The casing is open at the bottom and the top wall is flanged at to receive machine screws for anchoring the, motor and its casting. The part 5 of the casing jackets or overlies the casing 4. This casing includes a top portion el and a skirt 52. The spacing between the skirt and the casing Q varies, due to the offset portion 49; this variation is indicated by, the dotted lines 53 and 5 5. The spacing is such as to permit air directed upwardly past the motor by the fan 27 to escape from between the two casings at the zone indicated by these dotted lines. The top 5i is provided with an annular supporting piece 55 for the base of the container 2 and a side wall 5'6, the top of which merges with the skirt 52. The supporting piece 55'is flanged at 57. A substantially 'Z-sh'aped annulus 58 is adapted to overlie and in part surround the an nulus 37 and engage beneath the flange 51 of the supporting means 55. This member as a support for the member 55 at its central zone and gives rigidity to the entire structure.

The container 2 is best shaped to conform to the configuration of the base receiving portion of the casing 5. In the drawings, a plan of the base of the container shows it to be oval in outline, although said shape is purely arbitrary. This container is provided with sloping side walls and a depressed spout. The base 59 of the container is formed with an opening I50, and the outer surface of said base 59 is relieved or counter-bored adjacent said opening 60, as indicated at SI.

A shaft 62 has screw-threaded or otherwise held at one end thereof a jaw clutch element 83; the opposite end of said shaft is provided with an enlarged flange 6 3, a squared portion 65, and a threaded extension 65. Surrounding the shaft is a bearing block 61, provided with a shoulder 68 to accommodate the flange 64. The jaw clutch element is separated from the base of said hearing block by a Washer 69. In this manner, the shaft is held within the bearing block. The hearing block is provided with an annular groove HI adapted to' hold an oil wick II. Oil ports extend radially inwardly of said bearing block and said 58 acts wick receiving groove so that oil may be disposed between the shaft and the bearing block. Surrounding the bearing block is a sleeve I2, which is provided with an inwardly directed flange I3 terminating adjacent the periphery of the flange 64 of the shaft, with a further portion of said sleeve provided with an outwardly directed annular flange "I4 and a downwardly directed flange 75. The flange portions I4 and I5 function as a cap adapted to overlie in part the Z -shaped member 58 carried by the annulus 3i. Interposed between the base 59 and flange i4 is a washer l5. Surrounding the sleeve I2 and secured thereto is a ring II and interposed between said ring and the inner surface of the base of the container is a washer I8.

Carried on the squared portion 65 of the shaft is a cutter I9, and interposed between said cutter and the flange 6d and in part surrounding sleeve I2 is sleeve 80. Cap nut 8| secured to threads 82 is adapted to hold the cutter and sleeve in positionof assemblage on the shaft 62.

The cutter 9 may assume various forms, certain of which areillustrated in Figures 4 to 10, inclusive. The cutter shown in Figures 4 and 5, being the same type as depicted in Figure 3, comprises a series of spaced apart blades. Certain of the blades are of greater length than others thereof. In Figure 5, the diametrically disposed blades Iliil and IQI are of the greatest length; blades 32 and I03next in size, with gradual decrease in the length of pairs of the remaining blades shown at IE4, I65; I and IN. All of the blades have a curved leading or cutting edg I133. The trailing edge may be slightly curved, with ends of the blade substantially pointed, as shown at I69. Considering the leading edge as curved, it may be stated that the said blades have a sweep-back. The blades I06, I (II lilz'and I03 are bent downwardly with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the hub portion ill! of the cutter. For convenience, this downward curvature of said blades will be termed a cathedral. The blades IM'and I05 are planar, that is to say, in the same plane as the plane of the hub, while blades at I96 and I07 are at a dihedral or bent upwardly (see Figure 4). We thus have cutter blades in the plane of they hub of the cutter; other blades curvedly extending below the horizontal plane of said hub; and blades extending above the horizontal plane of said hub. These blades are given a sharp edg by beveling, as indicated in Figure 6.

We have found 'it expedient to flute the cutting edge of the blades, as illustrated in Figures 7 and 9, at III. In, Figure 8, the cutting edge is in the form of a saw tooth H2, and the blade is transversely fluted, as shown at I I3.

The operation, uses and advantages are as follows:

The cutter is within the confines of the container 2, and said cutter maybe readily removed from the squared end of the shaft by removing the cap nut BI, whereupo the container may be properly sterilized or cleaned, the cutters changed, etc. The construction'is such that the propeller shaft is outof contact with any of the pulp or juices within the container. It will be observed that the sleeve I2 passes through the central opening of the base of the container and that said sleeve is in a fluid-tight seal with both sides of said container base. Thus, liquids are prevented from escaping as between the sleeve and the central opening in the container. The

cap-type sleeve 80 surrounds in part the sleeve 12. This cap-type sleeve is adapted to rotate with the shaft 62. It may be easily shown that a fluid is unable to enter between the two sleeves 12 and 80, and even if it did, the washer included between the flange 64 of the shaft 62 and the portion 13 of sleeve 12 would prevent any liquid from being received between the shaft 62 and its bearing block 61. Hence, liquid is prevented from escaping from the container at the shaft portion.

The shaft 62 carries the jaw clutch element 63 which engages the cross piece 48 on the upper end of the stud shaft 41. As shown in Figure 3, this jaw clutch element is of the usual construction, having an abrupt wall and an inclined wall leading to a further diametrically disposed abrupt wall. Thus, this clutch element is selfpositioning on the cross piece.

When the plug H4 is placed in a suitable outlet, leading to a source of electrical current, a switch element I i5 and I I6 may be depressed for the purpose of conducting electricity to the motor. The motor has two speeds in the present instance, although it is obvious that the speed In actual practice, the motor is of the high speed type, adapted to turn its shaft approximately 22,000 revolutions per minute at one of the speeds. When it is desired to extract the juice from say, a carrot, the carrot is first cleaned and then dropped within the container. The cutter is revolved at a high rate of speed and it has been found that the vegetable is ground so finely that all of the juice is extracted therefrom. Any pulp will either sink to the bottom of the juice or rise to the top, depending upon the particular vegetable or fruit, with the result that straining of the juice may or may not be necessary. In the case of a banana, it has been found that after the same contacts the cutter that the resultant liquid has the consistency of cream.

The device performs its operation in a very rapid manner.

Cleaning of the device is easy of accomplishmerit, as has been heretofore explained.

We claim:

1. In cutter construction for juice extractors having a container, a cutter positioned within the container, and a motor for driving said cutter; said cutter comprising radial blades arranged in four diametric pairs, each blade having a sharp sweep-back cutting edge, all blades being tapered in form to a point at the tip thereof, and each diametric pair of blades differing in length from the other pairs of blades.

2. In cutter construction for juice extractors having a container, a cutter positioned within the container and adapted to be driven by a motor; said cutter comprising radial blades arranged in four diametric pairs, the faces of which are serrated, each blade having a sharp sweep-back cutting edge, all blades being tapered in form to a point at the tip thereof, and each diametric pair of blades differing in length from the other pairs of blades.

3. In cutter construction for juice extractors having a container, a cutter positioned within the container and the cutter adapted to be driven by a motor; said cutter comprising radial blades arranged in four diametric pairs, each blade having a sharp sweep-back fluted cutting edge, all blades being tapered in form to a point at the tip thereof, and each diametric pair of blades differing in length from the other pairs of blades.

i. In cutter construction for juice extractors having a container, a cutter positioned within the container and adapted to be driven by a motor; said cutter comprising radial blades arranged in four diametric pairs, each blade having a sharp sweep-back cutting edge, all blades being tapered in form to a point at the tip thereof, certain of said diametric blades being at a cathedral, others horizontal and still others at a dihedral to a plane at right angles to the axis of said cutter, and each diametric pair of blades differing in length from the other pairs of blades.

JACKSON D. COMS'IOCK. DON E. GROVE. 

